I Noticed a Fascinating Detail About Princess Diana's Dad and Grandfather

It's no secret that Charles Spencer's Instagram page boasts enough throwback content to rival a history textbook. So far, I've seen newspaper clippings, rare portraits, glimpses of his estate and even baby photos of his sister, the late Princess Diana. Now, the author and broadcaster is sharing more rare throwbacks of their ancestors—and I made a rather interesting observation.

On Instagram this weekend, Spencer shared two images—one of their father, Edward John Spencer, and one of their grandfather, Albert Spencer. Referring to the first image, he wrote, "Two photographs from 1940 or 1941: my grandfather and father, on a war footing in the front courtyard of @althorphouse. My grandfather had fought as a cavalry officer, and had been wounded in the First World War. He had an honorary army rank at the time of this portrait with his dog. That’s my grandmother in the distance."

Describing the second snap, he continued, "My father was in the Corps at @eton.college—he became an officer cadet there, before serving with the Royal Scots Greys in Normandy."

Both men are in full uniform in their respective photos, and I couldn't help but notice a fascinating detail: the resemblance in their dominant stance. While Albert stands near his dog with his hands at his sides, his son poses with his hands behind his back. Still, both are standing upright with squared shoulders and their chins up, which shows their high level of confidence. Another noteworthy detail? Both have calm and stoic facial expressions.

One fan commented, "Such lovely photos of your father & grandfather! You resemble your father so much!" Another wrote, "Very nice history of your entire family, Charles. You must be too proud of all the wonderful memories you've achieved."

This throwback post comes about a month after Spencer shared a 1950s photo of his dad on IG. He captioned the post, "I’d never seen this photograph of my father before today. I love him being captured pen-in-hand—he had beautiful handwriting: measured and handsome, in dark blue ink. A very evocative image."